KENNY Kingsley, a fit and healthy joker with a caring heart, collapsed and died trying to achieve his dream of serving in Afghanistan.

The 43-year-old from Bournemouth had been a London firefighter for 22 years and was training to join the TA.

He collapsed while jogging in his army backpack on the Lansdowne and tributes have been paid ahead of a funeral at St Paul’s church in Covent Garden on January 25.

Kenny was from Haringey and spent 17 years working at Soho station.

He moved to Bournemouth town centre seven years ago to be nearer to his daughter, and met his partner Carrie there.

His younger sister Leona Asamoah, from Highgate in London, said he loved living by the sea and was ‘chuffed’ to get his army beret.

She said: “From what the lads at the fire station have said, I know there was a few cases where he saved people’s lives.”

She added: “He was wonderful – loving and caring in a male sort of way. He had a great sense of humour, he was bit of a trickster.

“I always looked up to him. He lived the life he wanted to live.”

Lieutenant Colonel Tim House of 6 Rifles, said: “Kenny always made an impression with his cheerful, happy manner and showed all the signs of becoming a promising soldier.

“Even when suffering from a pulled hamstring, he continued to train and just cracked-on without complaint.

“He always said he wanted to serve his Queen and country on an operational tour.”

He was known as a good firefighter who loved the job, loved his gadgets, and loved playing football for the brigade team.

Crew manager Phil Savage from Red Watch said: “He will be best remembered for his smile, his wicked sense of humour, the endless card tricks and paper airplanes, his friendship and his compassion.

“The mess room will be quieter but a poorer place without him.”

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